Toy top

ABSTRACT

A toy top includes a body, a shaft portion, a movable component and a biasing member. The movable component includes at least a portion of the body and is movable upward and downward along the rotational axis of the toy top. The biasing member urges the movable component upward or downward. The movable component has a circumferential face that flares away from the biasing direction of the biasing member as the circumferential face recedes from the rotational axis. When the circumferential face collides with an opponent toy top, the movable component moves against a biasing force of the biasing member in a direction opposite to the biasing direction, and then the movable component is urged by resilience of the biasing member, so that the opponent toy top is moved in the biasing direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a toy top.

2. Description of Related Art

A battle game using traditional toy tops causes toy tops to collide witheach other to generate impact force, which stops an opponent toy topfrom spinning, flicks or disassembles the toy top (e.g. Japanese UtilityModel No. 3151700).

However, the game with traditional toy tops is a simple one where thebody of a toy top only collides with the opponent toy top in the attackand cannot thus lean or fell the opponent toy top.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention, which has been made in view of suchdrawbacks, is to provide a toy top that can effectively attack anopponent toy top.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a toy top having arotational axis includes:

a body;

a shaft portion;

a movable component including at least a portion of the body and beingmovable upward and downward relative to the rotational axis of the toytop; and

a biasing member which urges the movable component in a biasingdirection which is either upward or downward,

wherein the movable component has a circumferential face that flaresaway from the biasing direction of the biasing member as thecircumferential face recedes from the rotational axis, and

wherein when the circumferential face collides with an opponent toy top,the movable component moves against a biasing force of the biasingmember in a direction opposite to the biasing direction, and then themovable component is urged by the biasing member to move the opponenttoy top in the biasing direction.

Preferably, the circumferential face of the movable component surroundsthe entire circumference of the body.

Preferably, the biasing member urges the movable component upward, and

the circumferential face of the movable component flares downwardly asthe circumferential face recedes from the rotational axis.

In accordance with the present invention, the toy top includes a movablecomponent that can move vertically and a biasing member that urges themovable component to move upward or downward. If an opponent toy topcollides with the movable component, the impact generated thereby causesthe movable component to move in the direction opposite to the biasingdirection of the biasing member. The movable component is then moved ineither the upward or downward biasing direction by the resilience of thebiasing member and pushes back the opponent toy top.

The toy top can thus make an attack that is likely to lean the opponenttoy top. The toy top can effectively attack the opponent toy top,compared to a traditional toy top simply clashing the opponent toy topwith the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features provided by one or more embodiments of theinvention will become more fully understood from the detaileddescription given hereinbelow and the appended drawings which are givenby way of illustration only, and thus are not intended as a definitionof the limits of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy top and a toy-top launcheraccording to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toy top in action according to theembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of part of the toy topaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded top-down perspective view of the body of the toytop according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exploded bottom-up perspective view of the body of the toytop according to the embodiment.

FIGS. 6 A-C explain the operation of the body of the toy top accordingto the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A toy top according to embodiments of the present invention will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Overall Configuration

FIG. 1 illustrates a toy set including a toy top 1 and a toy-toplauncher 60 according to the first embodiment.

The toy top 1 is of a type that can be used in a so-called “top battlegame.” The toy top 1, for example, can be used in a battle game in whicha player wins the game when an opponent toy top 1 is disassembled asillustrated in FIG. 2 by the impact force of a collision between toytops.

The toy top 1 has a substantially axisymmetric shape around itsrotational axis Ax. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the toy top 1 includes ashaft portion 10, a flywheel 30, and a body 40.

Details 1. Shaft Portion 10

FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the shaft portion 10 andthe flywheel 30. In the shaft portion and the flywheel 30, the termsup-down, right-left and front-rear represent the respective directionsas illustrated in FIG. 3. The shaft portion 10 and the flywheel 30 eachhave a substantially symmetrical shape.

The shaft portion 10 includes a ground contact or spinning shaft 11 inthe lower end section, a flange 12 in the middle section in the up-downdirection, and a cylinder 13 in the upper end section.

The flange 12 is integrated with the cylinder 13. The core of thecylinder 13 includes a post 14. The upper end of the post 14 has a largediameter. This large diameter portion has two hooks 17 protrudingradially outward in the front and back directions. The post 14 is fixedto a lower shaft portion 10 a. The circumferential face of the lowershaft portion 10 a has a diameter that decreases stepwise from theflange 12 to the tip of the spinning shaft 11, defining an invertedsubstantial cone as a whole. The lower shaft portion 10 a is fixed tothe flange 12 with, for example, a screw (not shown).

Two holes 15 are formed in the front and back regions across the flange12 and the cylinder 13. The circumferential face of the cylinder 13 hastwo protrusions 16 in the right and left regions. The outer faces of theprotrusions 16 are flush with the circumferential face of the flange 12.

The shaft portion 10 includes a cylindrical urging member 18. The urgingmember 18 includes an annular top panel that fits to the upper endportion of the post 14. The urging member 18 is hollow and has adownward opening. The urging member 18 fits inside the cylinder 13 andsurrounds the post 14. The circumferential face at the lower end of theurging member 18 has two legs 18 a protruding radially outward in thefront and back directions.

With reference to FIG. 3, the urging member 18 is assembled such thatthe legs 18 a are exposed from the respective holes 15. The holes 15allow the respective legs 18 a to move in the up-down direction therein.The upward movement, however, is limited by the upper edges of the holes15. The urging member 18 is urged upward by a spring 19. In a normalstate, the upper end face of the urging member 18 is substantially flushwith the upper edge of the cylinder 13.

The upper face of the urging member 18 has two ridges 20 radiallyextending in the left and right directions.

2. Flywheel 30

The flywheel 30 has an annular shape. The inner bottom face of theflywheel 30 has an annular step 30 a that accommodates the flange 12 ofthe shaft portion 10 disposed below. The upper face of the flywheel 30has two upward protrusions 31 extending in the right and leftdirections. In lower parts of the protrusions 31, recesses 32 are formedso that the protrusions 16 of the shaft portion 10 can be respectivelyreceived therein. The upper face of the flywheel 30 has tongues 33adjoining the outer faces of the protrusions 31 and extending upward.The tongues 33 protrude above the protrusions 31.

3. Body 40

FIG. 4 is an exploded top perspective view of the body 40. FIG. 5 is anexploded bottom perspective view of the body 40.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the body 40 includes a top plate 41, amiddle plate 42, and a bottom plate 43. The top plate 41 and the bottomplate 43 constitute a main component. In the body 40, the terms “top,”“bottom,” “left,” “right,” “front,” and “back” refer to thecorresponding directions in FIGS. 4 and 5.

(1) Top Plate 41

The top plate 41 has a substantially circular hole 41 a defined in thecenter. The top plate 41 has hooks 41 b protruding inwardly from thehole 41 a in the left and right regions in the lower portion of theinner circumference. The top plate 41 has arcuate slits 41 c in theright and left regions on the top wall. The tongues 33 of the flywheel30 can be inserted into the respective slits 41 c from below. The widthof each arcuate slit 41 c is large at one end and small at the other endin the circumferential direction.

The top plate 41 has recesses 41 d in the front and rear of the bottomface. The recesses 41 d are downwardly fit to projections 42 b on themiddle plate 42, which will be described below. The front and rearregions of the bottom face of the top plate 41 have cylindrical bosses41 e in positions slightly remote from the recesses 41 d around the axisAx. The inner face of a hole defined in the center of each boss 41 e hasan internal thread (now shown).

(2) Middle Plate 42

The middle plate 42 has an annular shape and is disposed in the outercircumference of the body 40. The middle plate 42 has a circumferentialface 42 a that flares downward, in other words, being away from the axisAx over the substantially entire circumference, and surrounds thecircumference of the body 40.

The inner wall of the middle plate 42 has projections 42 b disposed inthe front and rear and extending toward the center of the middle plate42. The bottom face of each projection 42 b has a boss 42 c to which acoil spring 44, which will be described below, is fitted.

The middle plate 42 also has four slits 42 d in the lower portion of theinner wall.

(3) Bottom Plate 43

The bottom plate 43 includes an annular frame 43 a. The frame 43 a has acircumferential face having four protrusion 43 b corresponding to theslits 42 d in the middle plate 42. Vertical fitting of the fourprotrusions 43 b to the respective four slits 42 d in the middle plate42 causes the middle plate 42 and the bottom plate 43 to rotate togetheraround the axis Ax.

A connector 43 c that supports the frame 43 a is disposed inside of theframe 43 a and extends over the front and rear of the frame 43 a. Gapsdefined in the right and left regions by the connector 43 c and theframe 43 a serve as arcuate slits 43 d corresponding to the arcuateslits 41 c in the top plate 41. The connector 43 c has a hole 43 e inits center.

The top face of the connector 43 c has front and rear guide hollows 43 fthat guide the projections 42 b of the middle plate 42. The guidehollows 43 f are open at their tops and outer portions, and movablysupport the projections 42 b of the middle plate 42 along the axis Ax.Each of the projections 42 b of the middle plate 42 is inserted into theguide hollow 43 f through the intermediary of the coil spring 44, whichupwardly biases the middle plate 42.

The front and rear regions of the top face of the connector 43 c havefitting holes 43 g in positions slightly remote from the guide hollows43 f around the axis Ax. The bosses 41 e of the top plate 41 areinserted into the fitting holes 43 g and are fixed with screws (notshown) from below. The top plate 41 and the bottom plate 43 are fixed bythe middle plate 42 held therebetween and vertically movable.

The bottom face of the connector 43 c has an annular wall 43 h having aninner diameter equal to the diameter of the hole 43 e. The annular wall43 h has two hooks 43 i protruding inwardly on its lower inner face atopposite positions across the axis Ax. One end of the lower face of eachhook 43 i has an undulation 43 j that engages with the ridge 20 of theshaft portion 10. The undulation 43 j includes several ridges in thecircumferential direction.

(4) Decorative Component 47

The hole 41 a in the top plate 41 accommodates a decorative component 47latched with the hooks 41 b. Several decorative components 47 havingdifferent top colors and shapes are provided to discriminate toy tops 1from each other.

Assembly of Toy Top 1

Assembly of the toy top 1 will now be described. At this point, theassembly of the shaft portion 10 and the body 40 should already becompleted as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The protrusions 16 of the shaft portion 10 are aligned with the recesses32 of the flywheel 30 from below, so as to combine the shaft portion 10with the flywheel 30, which combination is then moved close to the body40 from below.

The tongues 33 of the flywheel 30 are inserted into the arcuate slits 41c and 43 d in the body 40. In this state, the hooks 17 of the shaftportion 10 are not aligned with the hooks 43 i of the body 40 in theup-down direction. This state is referred to as a decoupled state. Whenthe shaft portion 10 of the combination is urged to the body 40, theflywheel 30 is biased against the bottom face of the body 40. Inresponse, the spring 19 in the shaft portion 10 contracts, and theurging member 18 sinks. This causes the hooks 17 of the shaft portion 10to be relatively urged above the hooks 43 i of the body 40. The shaftportion 10 spins together with the flywheel 30 in a predetermineddirection (the direction reversed to the spin direction of the toy top1) relative to the body 40. This causes the hooks 43 i of the body 40 tomove beneath the hooks 17 of the shaft portion 10, such that the hooks17 are aligned with the hooks 43 i in the up-down direction. In responseto release of the shaft portion 10 from the hand of an assembler, thebiasing force of the spring 19 in the shaft portion 10 causes the lowerfaces of the hooks 17 of the shaft portion 10 to come into contact withthe upper faces of the hooks 43 i of the body 40. This state of thelower faces of the hooks 17 of the shaft portion 10 in contact with theupper faces of the hooks 43 i of the body 40 is referred to as a coupledstate. In this manner, the ridges 20 engage with the undulations 43 j,and the toy top 1 is assembled.

How to Play

An example of how to play with the toy top 1 will now be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example launcher that spins anddrives the toy top 1. FIGS. 6 A-C explain the operation of the body 40of the toy top 1 in a game.

In this example of how to play, the toy top 1 is spun to engage in abattle with an opponent toy top 1A (FIG. 6B).

In such a case, the rotational force of the toy top 1 is generated witha toy-top launcher 60, such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. The launcher60 includes an internal disk (not shown). The disk is urged in a firstrotational direction by a spiral spring (not shown). A handle 61 is thenpulled to pull a string (not shown) wound around the disk so as to spinthe disk, thereby spinning a top holder 62. The spinning of the topholder 62 is transmitted to the toy top 1 through forks 63 protrudingdownward so as to spin the toy top 1. In such a case, the forks 63 areinserted into the arcuate slits 41 c in the body 40. Fully pulling thehandle 61 of the launcher 60 stops the spinning of the disk and thus thespinning of the top holder 62, but the toy top 1 continues to spin dueto inertia. The toy top 1 follows the tilting faces 63 a of the forks 63and detaches from the top holder 62.

The toy top 1 launched in this way spins in a predetermined direction ina predetermined field and collides with another toy top 1A of anopponent spinning in the same direction, for example. The impact forcegenerated by the collision causes a reactive force to be applied to thebody 40 in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the shaftportion 10 and the flywheel 30. This causes the body 40 to spin in theopposite direction relative to the rotational direction of the shaftportion 10 and the flywheel 30.

In response, the undulations 43 j on the bottom face of the bottom plate43 and the ridges 20 vary their engagement position as the shaft portion10 relatively rotates with respect to the body 40. In the course ofthis, if the hooks 17 of the shaft portion 10 and the hooks 43 i of thebody 40 reach the decoupled state and are released from coupling witheach other, the biasing force of the spring 19 causes the body 40 to bedetached from the shaft portion 10. As a result, as illustrated in FIG.2, the toy top 1 is disassembled.

In the body 40 of the toy top 1 launched by the launcher 60, the middleplate 42 is upwardly biased by the coil spring 44 and is normally incontact with the top plate 41, as illustrated in FIG. 6A.

As illustrated in FIG. 6B, if the toy top 1 (or the body 40) spins inthis state and collides with the opponent toy top 1A (illustrated bydotted lines), the collision of the flared circumferential face 42 a ofthe middle plate 42 with the opponent top toy 1A generates an impactfrom which the middle plate 42 receives downward force. This causes themiddle plate 42 to be downwardly urged against the biasing force of thecoil spring 44. In response, the middle plate 42 upwardly urged by theresilience of the coil springs 44, so that the opponent toy top 1A isupwardly urged back and flipped up as illustrated in FIG. 6C.

The top toy 1 can thus make an attack that is likely to lean theopponent toy top 1A. Compared to a traditional toy top simply clashingan opponent toy top with the body, the toy top 1 can effectively attackthe opponent toy top 1A. The toy top 1 can also promise an effect ofrelieving the impact force applied by the collision with the opponenttoy top 1A through the coil spring 44.

Alternate Embodiments of the Invention

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described, theinvention may include any other embodiment. Various modifications can bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the coil spring 44upwardly biases the middle plate 42. Alternatively, the coil spring 44may bias the middle plate 42 in one direction, i.e., upward or downward.In other words, the coil spring 44 may downwardly bias the middle plate42. Also in this case, an effective attack can be made that leans anopponent toy top.

The circumferential face 42 a of the middle plate 42 may have any shapeother than the flared shape, provided, however, that the circumferentialface 42 a preferably flares away from the biasing direction of the coilspring 44 as the circumferential face 42 a recedes from the axis Ax.

The circumferential face 42 a of the middle plate 42 need not surroundthe entire circumference of the body 40. Alternatively, thecircumferential face 42 a may surround a partial circumference or may bedivided in several segments in the circumference, which are individuallybiased by the coil spring 44.

The movable component according to the present invention may include atleast a portion of the body. For example, the entire body may be themovable component. In this case, the biasing member upwardly anddownwardly urging the movable component may be disposed to bias themovable component relative to the shaft portion.

The entire disclosure of Japanese patent application No. 2017-101304,filed on May 23, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toy top having a rotational axis, comprising: abody; a shaft portion; a movable component including at least a portionof the body and being movable upward and downward relative to therotational axis of the toy top; and a biasing member which urges themovable component in a biasing direction which is either upward ordownward, wherein the movable component has a circumferential face thatflares away from the biasing direction of the biasing member as thecircumferential face recedes from the rotational axis, and wherein whenthe circumferential face collides with an opponent toy top, the movablecomponent moves against a biasing force of the biasing member in adirection opposite to the biasing direction, and then the movablecomponent is urged by the biasing member to move the opponent toy top inthe biasing direction.
 2. The toy top according to claim 1, wherein thecircumferential face of the movable component surrounds an entirecircumference of the body.
 3. The toy top according to claim 1, whereinthe biasing member urges the movable component upward, and thecircumferential face of the movable component flares downwardly as thecircumferential face recedes from the rotational axis.
 4. A toy tophaving a rotational axis, comprising: a body which rotates about theaxis; a component which is movable upward and downward relative to thebody and the rotational axis of the toy top; and a biasing member whichurges the movable component in a biasing direction which is eitherupward or downward relative to the axis, wherein when the movablecomponent collides with an opponent toy top, the movable component movesopposite the biasing direction, and then the movable component is urgedby the biasing member to move the opponent toy top in the biasingdirection.
 5. The toy top according to claim 4, wherein the movablecomponent forms a circumferential periphery of the toy top.
 6. The toytop according to claim 4, wherein the biasing member urges the movablecomponent upward, and the movable component includes a circumferentialface that flares downwardly as the circumferential face recedes from theaxis.
 7. The toy top according to claim 4, wherein the body includes aplate to which the movable component is connected, wherein the biasingmember is connected between the movable member and the plate, andwherein the plate is connected to a shaft portion of the body.
 8. Thetoy top according to claim 4, wherein the biasing member is a pluralityof equally-spaced coil springs.
 9. The toy top according to claim 4,wherein the body includes an upper plate and a lower plate spaced fromthe upper plate and connected to a shaft portion of the body, whereinthe movable component is positioned between the upper and lower plates.10. The toy top according to claim 9, wherein the biasing member isconnected between the movable component and one of the top plate and thebottom plate.
 11. The toy top according to claim 4, wherein the movablecomponent has a peripheral surface that is angled away from the biasingdirection.
 12. The toy top according to claim 11, wherein the movablecomponent has a circumference and the peripheral surface is continuousalong the circumference.
 13. The toy top according to claim 11, whereinthe movable component has a circumference and the peripheral surface isinterrupted by spaces along the circumference.
 14. The toy top accordingto claim 4, wherein the movable component is a plurality of movablecomponents positioned on the body, and the biasing member is a pluralityof biasing members positioned on the body, each biasing a respective oneof the movable components.
 15. A toy top having a rotational axis,comprising: a body having a first member and a second member; and ashaft portion operatively connected to the body; wherein the secondmember is movable upward and downward relative to the first memberrelative to the axis; and a biasing member between the first and secondmembers which urges the second member in a biasing direction which iseither upward or downward relative to the axis, wherein the secondmember has a peripheral surface that is angled away from the biasingdirection, wherein when the second member collides with an opponent toytop, the second member moves opposite the biasing direction, and thenthe second member is urged by the biasing member to move the opponenttoy top in the biasing direction.
 16. The toy top according to claim 15,wherein the peripheral surface surrounds an entire circumference of thesecond member.
 17. The toy top according to claim 16, wherein thebiasing member urges the second member upward, and flares downwardly asthe peripheral surface recedes from the axis.
 18. The toy top accordingto claim 15, wherein the biasing member is a plurality of equally-spacedcoil springs.
 19. The toy top according to claim 15, wherein the firstmember is an upper plate and a lower plate spaced from the upper plateand connected to the shaft portion, wherein the second member ispositioned between the upper and lower plates.
 20. The toy top accordingto claim 19, wherein the biasing member is connected between the secondmember and the lower plate.
 21. The toy top according to claim 15,wherein the second member has a circumference and the peripheral surfaceis interrupted by spaces along the circumference.
 22. The toy topaccording to claim 19, wherein the second member is a plurality ofsecond components, and the biasing member is a plurality of biasingmembers, each biasing a respective one of the second members.